Attention has been focused on the optical transmission system with optical interconnection technique as an optical transmission technology for intra- or inter-equipment. In the optical interconnection system for this category of application, arrayed optical elements such as the Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL), which is easy to configure a multi-channel array, has been generally used.
Establishing the optical transmission between groups of arrayed optical elements has used an optical fiber ribbon 151 as shown in FIG. 16 for example. The construction of the optical fiber ribbon 151 is such that: a plurality of optical fibers 150 (four fibers as an example shown in FIG. 16) are aligned flat at a pitch or spacing of P equal to the arraying pitch in the arrayed optical elements and then aligned optical fibers are commonly jacketed with a resin 153.
At the end of the optical fiber ribbon 151 as shown in FIG. 17, an optical connector 165 is installed to connect the fiber end thereof optically with the surface-emitting face (or surface-receiving face) 162 of arrayed optical elements 161 mounted on a substrate 160 (refer to Patent Literatures 1 to 3 for example).
In a conventional art, to connect the optical fiber ribbon 151 optically with the surface-emitting face (or surface-receiving face) 162 of the arrayed optical elements 161 mounted on the substrate 160 using the optical connector 165, the optical fiber ribbon 151 runs in a guiding slot 164 provided on a connector main body 163 so that the end face of the optical fiber ribbon 151 will oppose to each surface-emitting face (or surface-receiving face) 162 of the arrayed optical elements 161 mounted on the substrate 160.
As described above, the construction of the optical connector 165 in a conventional art was such that the optical fiber ribbon 151 is bent within the connector main body 163 so that the optical path will turn its direction while running between the bottom face of the connector main body 163 and the side face thereof to permit leading out the optical fiber ribbon 151 from a desired face (side face for example) of the connector main body 163.
In manufacturing optical fiber modules, the optical fiber ribbon 151 is arranged in the guiding slot 164 so that the tip thereof will project out of the bottom face of the connector main body 163, and then the end of the optical fiber ribbon 151 and the bottom face of the connector main body 163 are polished together to obtain an end face 166.
The reason of polishing the tip of the optical fiber ribbon 151 is to make the end face 166 of the optical fiber ribbon 151 flat. If not flat, signal light will make diffused reflection or other disorder at the end face 166 resulting in the light loss increase.
In the conventional art for manufacturing optical fiber modules therefore, the end face 166 is cleaved with such as a fiber cutter in advance and then the tip thereof is polished to make the end face 166 flat.
Patent Literature 1
    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-256372Patent Literature 2    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-52028Patent Literature 3    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-91684Patent Literature 4    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-271998